Champions League, Sporting Lisbon-Bologna 1-1: the rossoblù dominate, then the equaliser by Harder

Bologna, 29 January 2025 – Bologna's dream nights end with a draw. The path in Champions League ends 1-1, with the rossoblù offering another test of great character, continuing the growth path.

Pobega's goal in the first half was answered by Harder in the second half, with the Dane thus giving the Portuguese the play-offs. Bologna, on the other hand, is left with the awareness that this could only be a goodbye. The match will not count towards qualification for the next round but as reiterated by Vincenzo Italiano on the eve of the match, the intention of the rossoblù is precisely that of to give battle and repeat if possible the good home performance against Dortmund just a week ago. And the players' intentions seem to be exactly those of doing what the coach asked: ready, go and Bologna hit the crossbar in the 4th minute, with a header from Beukema from a corner that hit the post high. The team plays at a high pace from the first moments, with well-organized restarts that try to hurt the opposing rearguard. He tries Castro but he is stopped by the Portuguese defense while at 10' there is a first twist, with the Italian forced to call back Ferguson who leaves the field making way for Moro. The Scotsman is in fact forced to abandon the pitch due to a muscular problem, with the rossoblù coach who did not hesitate to throw Moro into the fray, a choice that was partly forced given the short squad with which Bologna showed up in Lisbon. Sporting is trying to come out with harder which aims to not make us regret the absence of Gyokers: the Portuguese striker tries first with a right-footed shot to the near post where he is attentive Ravaglia and then wastes a nice verticalization of crack, shooting out. Bologna responds immediately and again Beukema he would have had the chance to unlock the match but this time the defender kicked in a clumsy way without creating any concerns Israel.

The pressing of the rossoblù is rewarded in the 21st minute, with Italiano's team taking the lead thanks to Pobega: it is the Dutch defender who provides the midfielder with the decisive assist thanks to a header that becomes an invitation for the former Milan player to throw it alone behind Israel with an effective header. It is Bologna's deserved lead that leads to Jose Alvalade. Sporting tries to react, again with Harder waging war on Bologna's defence, arriving at the 40th minute to unleash a sudden shot that Ravaglia is however still attentive to parry. The game is very fragmented, with the Portuguese trying to reason and find a plot that can worry the rossoblù. Before the whistle that sends everyone to the break, two yellow cards arrive for Italiano's men, first for Beukema for a hold on harder e then Iling-Junior for a slap on the wrist ashThe last gasp of the first 45' is always provided by the home team with a header from Hjulmand that forces Ravaglia to save the game to avoid the worst. The referee Bastien then sends everyone to the locker rooms. The first half it therefore ends with a Bologna on the attack, deservedly in the lead thanks to the great personality shown on the pitch.

On returning from the break, Italian makes some you change, recalling the admonitions: Holm and Beukema out, Lykogiannis and Erlic in. The rossoblù, however, do not give up on the way they played in the first half and in the 53rd minute it is once again Pobega who becomes dangerous, served by Ndoye just inside the area after a good progression by the Swiss, but the rossoblù midfielder's shot is blocked by Israel. For Sporting, Fresneda responds again, with Ravaglia somehow blocking. The game continues at a very high pace at the José Alvalade, with Italiano's team still going on the wings, with Iling putting a nice ball in the center but Castro obstructs his teammate's shot, with Pobega still trying to find glory but his shot ends up out. The referee had in any case stopped the game, denouncing a foul. Sporting struggles and lives on the flashes of Araujo, with his lateral and central runs that try to create superiority without however managing to build something decisive. The Uruguayan number 20 is the most dangerous of his team, also causing Erlic to be booked in one of his slaloms. But in the 74th minute it was Pobega who became dangerous again., with the former Milan player flying down the wing and then trying to find a shot from a tight angle that only hits the outside of the net. The former Milan player then leaves the pitch in pain, with Odgaard thrown into the fray. But the joke is coming for the rossoblù: in the 77th minute there is in fact the equaliser for Sporting with Harder who with a dirty touch fools Ravaglia after Casale has been fooled by the young Dane. The former Lazio player had been perfect up to that point, Ravaglia was also unlucky as he did not reach the cross from Joao Simoes, lost on the occasion of his cut by Fabbian. At the José Alvalade it goes to 1-1. But Bologna doesn't give up and there's another chance right away at Ndoye's feet.: Ndoye works a nice ball in the defensive phase, passes to Castro who launches the Swiss, who enters the area, comes back but unloads a shot that is too high on the goal defended by Israel. Time passes with Sporting who, with the possibility of qualification in their pocket, tries to slow down the pace, also taking advantage of a Bologna forced to take a breather after the efforts made up to that point. Bastien thus awards a 6' extra time during which the rossoblù, although tired, still try to build. There is no time for further shocks: at the Alvalade it ends in a draw. Italiano's Bologna thus says goodbye to the Champions League but does so with their heads held high, with a capital performance and with a lot of experience that will be needed in the championship to chase Europe for next year.

"Fantastic competition, congratulations to the boys. Focus on Serie A and Coppa Italia"

Vincenzo Italiano takes stock of Bologna's European journey, which ended at the José Alvalade with a draw that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth for how the rossoblù conducted the match but which showed all the value of the team that also against Sporting Lisbon has shown that it can compete at an international level: “It was a fantastic competition, a beautiful experience that we finished in 28th place. Today we were aggressive and good at stifling their sources of play., Trincao and Hjulmand”. The Bologna coach then analysed his team's match, highlighting how the physiological decline in the final part of the second half then decided the final outcome: “We dropped off in the final after having missed a few opportunities to double the score. But we leave happy today too”. Italiano then concluded by praising his team and now looking to the rest of the season with the rossoblù who are still in the running in Coppa Italia (will face Atalanta on February 4th, ed.) and in the championship where they are chasing a European placing for next season too: “I congratulated all the lads, now let’s focus on the two competitions we have left”.

The scoreboard

Sporting Lisbon-Bologna 1-1 

Sporting (4-2-3-1): Israel, Fresneda, Diomande, Inacio, Araujo, Hjulmand, Debast (5' st Simoes), Tricao (42' st Reis), Braganca (18' st Quenda), Catamo, Harder. (3 Juste, 13 Kovacevic, 41 Callai, 47 Esgaio, 50 Brito, 73 Felicissimo, 78 Couto, 86 Nei, 90 Moreira). Coach: Borges.

Bologna (4-2-3-1): Ravaglia, Holm (1' st Lykogiannis), Beukema (1'st Erlic), Casale, Miranda, Ferguson (10' st Moro), Pobega (30' st Odgaard), Ndoye, Fabbian, Iling-Junior (34' st Dallinga), Castro. (1 Skorupski, 13 Ravaglioli, 23 Bagnolini). All.: Italian.

Referee: Bastien (France).

Networks: in pt 21 Pobega; in st 32' Harder.

Angoli: 4-5 for Bologna.

Recovery: 2' and 6'. Yellow cards: Holm, Beukema, Debast, Iling-Junior, Lykogiannis, Simoes, Erlic, Quenda for foul play; Hjulmand for foul play.